Part four of the Fun Times Are Over arc.
Jamie stared, stunned. He stood and, with a shaky hand, poked Jack in the chest. He almost expected it to go through. It didn't. Jack's staff clattered to the ground when Jamie threw his arms around the Guardian in a hug.
"You're here! You're real!"
"Of course I am."
Jack ruffled his hair like nothing was wrong. Jamie held him tighter, tears pricking at his eyes. He was afraid that, any moment, he would wake up. That this was a dream and it would soon turn into a nightmare. Fear almost overshadowed his joy at seeing his friend alive.
"I'm so sorry."
"Come on, Jamie. Are you trying to strangle me?"
"S-sorry. I'm just so happy to see you." He released his friend, embarrassed. He was still shaking, still expecting this to be only his imagination. He looked around for some distraction. His eyes landed on the staff he dropped earlier. He scooped it back up and held it out to Jack. "I got your staff. I took good care of it. I–sorry I dropped it."
No frost spreaded from Jack's fingers when they curled around it. The Guardian observed it, shook his head and sighed.
"Thanks."
"Jack? Are you alright? Why isn't it, uh..."
"I'll be fine. I just came back to life, you know? Give me time."
Jack smiled at him, but it didn't reach his eyes. Jamie wondered if he knew, or at least suspected, something. If he really just needed some time, or if there was something wrong with him and he wouldn't say what. He couldn't have lost his powers, could he?
"Sandy was doing alright after he came back."
"Sandy's pretty much made of Dreamsand. Nightmare Sand is just corrupted Dreamsand. It makes sense that it would be easier for Sandy, right?"
Jamie nodded, disheartened. He hoped nothing was permanently wrong with Jack. He would never forgive himself. "This is your fault. Never forget that. He would have been fine without you." He should be overjoyed to see his friend back, but worry, fear and a certain awkwardness overpowered that joy.
"You should talk to them about it. The Guardians, I mean. They'll want to know your back. I–Sophie will want to know your back. Everyone was worried about you. I was worried about you. I'm so glad you're back..."
Jack gave him that smile that didn't reach his eyes again and Jamie shuddered. He may be back, but it felt... wrong. He wanted the old Jack back. The Jack whose whole face lit up when he smiled. But it was his own fault this happened. He couldn't complain, merely do his best to help.
"Right. How about you go see dear Sophie while I fly north, eh? I'll see you again later."
Jamie nodded numbly, torn between wanting this uncomfortable talk to be over and wanting to hug Jack again. He felt guilty over that. His friend was back. He should be crying with joy. But he was so afraid and he felt like Jack was holding him at arm's length. He settled for squeezing his shoulder.
"Take care of yourself. And, uh... I'm here if you need help, alright?"
Jack just gave him another empty smile before taking off. At least he could still fly. Jamie stared after him until he disappeared in the distance. He could hardly believe what just happened. That Jack was back, just like that. He should be happy, yet he wasn't. He was too afraid.
"He's alive. That's what matters. He's alive. He's back."
He returned home in a daze and knocked on the guest room's door. He still hadn't figured out how to break the news to Sophie when she opened the door, still in her pajama, her hair tangled and her eyes red.
"Jamie? You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."
"Jack's alive."
She stared. Blinked. Opened her mouth. Closed it again. Sophie shook her head and gave him a disbelieving look.
"Alive? Where is he? Why are you not smiling? What's going on?"
"He–he left to see the Guardians. I don't know what's going on, Soph. I think something's wrong with him. I just... I don't know."
"But he's alive."
"He's alive."
A grin split Sophie's face. She threw her arms around him, laughed, spun him around. Jamie chuckled when he almost lost his balance and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Jack was alive. His fear was fading at last and he laughed with her. Jack was alive. He was back. He hugged Sophie back and laughed so hard that he cried.
"We weren't sure you'd here."
Night had fallen by the time Sophie dragged him to the lake. Jamie insisted that Jack wouldn't be back yet, that he would stay at the North Pole for the night, but Sophie pointed out that taking a short walk wouldn't hurt either way. If he was honest with himself, Jamie had to admit that he was a little frightened at the idea of facing Jack again. He didn't know how to act around the Guardian anymore.
Jack flew down from his perch on a tree branch. His staff was still free of frost and the snow was melting around the lake after the warm day they had. Jack smiled and Jamie looked down rather than look at it. Sophie hesitated a beat before hugging the winter spirit, rather than throwing herself at him like she usually did. Jack patted her on the back. She held him like he could shatter in her arms any moment.
"I just came back."
"Did talk to them about you powers?"
"They said they'd look into it."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I'll be fine."
Jamie didn't miss that both time he asked that question, Jack had answered that he would be fine, rather than that he was fine. Something was wrong and Jack wasn't talking. It might be something terrible. Maybe he was only back briefly before fading away forever. Maybe he really lost his powers for good. Maybe he wasn't a Guardian anymore. Maybe he was just a figment of Jamie's imagination because he was going crazy.
Sophie squeezed his hand. She had lost her own smile.
"This is you fault. Never forget that. He would have been fine without you."
North opened another thick tome from the workshop's library. There had to be information in there somewhere. There had to be a way to help Jack. They just needed to find it.
"There's nothing in those old books, mate. Nothing that's any good to us."
North sighed. He refused to give up, but it was starting to look like Bunny was right.
"We have to find way, Bunny. We have to find way to bring Jack back. Guardians don't die, not forever. Keep looking."
This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but I decided to post a shorter one today instead of a longer one later, since so many are panicking right now (not sure that'll make you feel any better). That means next chapter is likely to be pretty long (or cut in two)
